Bengaluru stampede fallout: CM’s political secretary removed, 5 senior cops suspended, RCB officials held

Bengaluru: A series of swift actions were taken by authorities on Friday following the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and injured dozens. The Karnataka government removed the Chief Minister’s political secretary, suspended three senior police officers, and arrested key officials from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team and the event management firm involved. 

MLC K Govindaraj was relieved from his position as political secretary to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with immediate effect, the government announced on Friday.

No official reason was provided for Govindaraj’s removal, but sources link the decision to the tragic stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4.

The stampede occurred Wednesday evening as large crowds gathered to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) IPL victory. Besides the 11 fatalities, 56 people were injured.

Following the incident, Siddaramaiah suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior police officers on Thursday.

Four arrested
Police sources also confirmed the arrest of four officials from RCB and DNA Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the event management firm responsible for the celebrations. The arrests were made during a joint operation by the crime branch and Bengaluru Police.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh told PTI Videos, “A few arrests have been made. Our teams are handling the case seriously. The investigation will eventually be transferred to the CID, and legal procedures are currently underway.”

Among those arrested are Nikhil Sosale, Head of Marketing and Revenue at RCB, along with Sunil Mathew and Kiran Kumar from DNA Entertainment Pvt Ltd. They were taken to Cubbon Park police station for questioning and medical examinations, after which further legal action will follow.

Some suspects were reportedly detained at Kempegowda International Airport on the city outskirts.

The police action came after an FIR was filed on Thursday naming RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had directed the state’s DGP and IGP to ensure the immediate arrest of responsible parties from RCB, DNA, and KSCA, citing “irresponsibility” and “carelessness” as prima facie causes for the tragedy.